2016 Dynamic Dozen Top Local Sales/Marketing Professional: Gwen Beebe

Phil Melugin doesn’t hesitate to credit Gwen Beebe with the growth of Phoenix Home Care Inc., namely its 33 percent revenue increase last year.

“When we first began Phoenix five years ago, we didn’t have our world defined,” says Melugin, Phoenix’s owner and president. “We knew we wanted to grow and expand from the Springfield market, but we were not sure in what direction.

“Gwen had a vision and convinced us all she could bring it into focus.”

Beebe, vice president of business development and regional operations, joined Phoenix in 2011 but has been in home health care for more than a decade.

She leads the company’s operations, sales and marketing, as well as its cultural-education programs that reinforce Phoenix’s leadership and success principles.

“We understand the importance of both internal and external marketing,” Beebe says.

“Our goal is to have no gap between what we promise and what we deliver. Our true goal is to exceed the expectations set forth by the compelling marketing promises. When we do this, we generate referrals and clients who return to us again and again.”

Fulfilling expectations through a company culture that instills people-centric service protects Phoenix from economic downturns, Beebe says.

“When we deliver what we promise and build trust with our clients and referral sources, we remain the No. 1 preferred provider, even when the economy slows down,” she says. “There is always a market for genuine caring and delivery of promises.”

In the ever-changing field of health care, where competition for quality staff is fierce, consolidation continues and the Affordable Care Act affects payment to agencies like Phoenix. Beebe says supporting employees and diversifying services are critical.

“We have established cost-effective quality of care and have diversified our service offerings and payment options,” she says.

“We are positioning ourselves to continue to meet the demand by staying in front of cutting-edge development changes of our industry.”

Staying out front drove Beebe to position Phoenix as one of the largest regional providers of special-needs services to children, who benefit from the agency’s private duty nursing in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.

“This service has given so many families the comfort of knowing their children are being provided for by a company that understands the needs and hearts of their children,” she says.

“From the get-go, I was forever linked to these children and their families. I am proud of our PDN teams, not only because it has produced over $25 million in revenue, but because of knowing we truly understand the heart and needs of our special-needs children.”

Beebe has helped lead Phoenix’s internal Taking Flight initiative that fosters a common culture examines the company mission, core values and commitments while developing leaders.

“We totally understand we are in the people business,” she says. “We embrace the reality that we need to not only market our products and services, [but also] we have to take care of our people who deliver them.”